Tions electriques



4 Y 8 Sheets-Sheet; 1.. L.A A. BBRTH-ON. MULTPLE 00MM'IA'IORvAPP-ARATUSv FOR TBLBPHOB SYSTEMS.

N0. 506,658. Pat-@pwd om.,17,118.93.y

(No Modell.)

(N Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. A. BBRTHON. MULTIPLE GOMMUTATOR APPARATUS POR TELEPHONE SYSTEMS. No.506,658.

Patented Oct. 17, 1893.

/VY/VVTOR: a @ad @VMM (No Model.) 3 Sheets-'Sheet 3. vL. A. BERTHON.

MULTIPLE GOMMUTATOR APPARATUS POR TELEPHONE SYSTEMS.

No. 506,658. Patented out. 17, 189.

ufff/naaf UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIs ALFRED BERTHON, OF PARIS, FRANCE, AssIGNOR To THE SOCIETE GENERALEDES TELEPHONES, (RESEAUX TELEPHONIQUES ET CONSTRUC- TIoNs ELECTRIQUES.)

MULTIPLE-COMMUTATOR APPARATUS FOR TELEPHONE lSYSTEMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 506,658, dated AOctober17, 1893.

Application filed .Tune 15, 1892. Serial 110.436,81?. (No model.)Patented in France November 16, 1891, No. 217,476, and in England May16, 1892, No. 9,282. l

To all whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that 1,LoUIs ALFRED BERTHON, a citizen of the Republic ofFrance, residing in Paris, France, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Multiple-Commutator Apparatus for Telephonie Systems,(which invention has been patented in France, No. 217,476, datedNovember 16, 1891, and in England, No. 9,282, dated May 16, 1892,) of

ro which the following is a specification.

This `invention relates to multiple commutator apparatus for telephonieinstallations, such lfor example as the system known as the Berthonsystem of telephonic apparatus.

The invention aims to provide certain improvements in such apparatus,and in. the construction and arrangement of the contact plugs and springjacks for multiple commutators, especially those of the said Berthon 2osystem of telephonie apparatus with metallic circuits.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure l isan end elevationof my improved contact plug. Fig. 2 is 2 5 alongitudinal section thereof on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal section thereof cut at right angles to Fig. 2, and on theline 3 3 in Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a cross-section thereof out on the line4.-4. in Fig. 2.

3o Fig. 5 is a fragmentary'view of one of the conductors adapted forConnection to the plug but in incomplete form. Fig. 6 is a similar viewthereof in completejform. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary View of the oppositeend of a 3 5 conductor. Fig. 8 is an elevation thereof showing thebinding post for this end of the conductor in section. Fig. 9 is aVertical section of a spring jack cut on the line 9-9 in Fig. 11. Fig.10 is a fragmentary under side 4o plan View of a spring jack. Fig. 1l isafragmentary end elevation thereof. Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic viewshowing the circuits and apparatus for two subscribers lines disposedaccording to the preferred form of my invenn tion. Fig. 13 is a frontview of a commutator showing the complete installation for six thousandcircuits; and Fig. 14 is a vertical cross- A section thereof.

' Referring" to theaccompanying drawings,

I will now describe the preferred form of my 5o invention as applied tothe Berthon system of telephonie apparatus with metallic circuits.

The contact plug, best shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4., is constructed oftwo pieces of brass 55 or other metal a b, a b', embedded fora longportion of their length in a block c d of insulating material,preferably that known as ivorine,.?. the metal pieces being formed withnotches or projections e e forming abrupt shoulders into contact withwhich the ivorine penetrates so as to be elfectually secured thereto.Outside the block o d, the two pieces of metal a b, a b', are separatedfrom each other by a thickness f of ivorine, which is held in grooves gin the metal pieces. See Figs. 1 and 2. The inner ends of the metalpieces have longitudinal holes h h respectively bored in them into whichpass the metal rods that are secured to the 7o ends of the wires of theflexible conducting cable z'. For preventing all contact between the tworods x, the insulating block c d is extended rearwardly as a partition jbetween them. In the insulating block c CZ are also embedded twoscrew-nuts la 7c into which are screwed the screws that secure thesheath Z m of ivorine that incloses completely the said parts. Theclosed rear end m of the sheath is formed with a hole through which 8opasses the flexible conductor t'. A small ring n of copper or othermaterial is clamped onto the woven covering of the conductor@ within therear end of the sheathing and constitutes a collar for preventing the'conductor from 85 being drawn out of the sheath. The block of ivorineis molded in a divided steel mold the interior of which has the exactconfiguration of the block to be produced. This mold is heated to therequired degree, the above men- 9c. tioned pieces of metal which are tobe embedded in the block, namely, a b, o b', and k lo are firstintroduced into the mold, and the remaining spaces are then filled withivorine, and the whole is then subjected to spring pressure in the mold.After cooling the formed mass is removed.

The iiexible conducting cable t' contains two conductors, each of whichis formed of a coiled brass wire n', see Fig. 5, the end of the coilbeing screwed onto a threaded copper rod and then covered by a windingof metal thread for diminishing the resistance ot the joint, and this isthen covered by a silk orcotton winding or braiding o, and over this isfixed a thin metal tube c', see Fig. 6, which covers both the collars dof the metal rod :c and the under side of the windings or braidings towhich it is secured by indentations e e. Fig. 6 shows the end of theconducting cable, the metal rods of which are secured in the holes ofthe block as before described, and

the other end of the cable is shown in Figs. l

7 and 8. This end has a metal covering which is constructed inelectrical contact with and constitutes part of the electric conduc` torpassing through the cable, being joined to the covering and theconductor byindentations e e. This metal covering is secured by aset-screw p in the socket of a contact piece or binding post g. See Fig.8. The flexible conductor thus formed offers a weak resistance but isot' considerable mechanical strength on account of the double winding orbraiding 'covering each conductor of the cable, and the furtherwindingor braiding which unites the two conductors in one cable.

The spring jacks "U are combined in rows of twenty upon an ivorine bar,lettered s s in Figs. 9, lO and 11. They also consist of metal piecesembedded in the insulating material at the time of molding the latter. Iwill describe in the first instance the arrangementofasinglespringjack.Threeare shown in Figs.` l0 and 11.

Two blocks of brass y z and y z notched along say half their length, areembedded in a-n ivorine slab s s and serve for holding by means ofscrews t t the copper blades u u', to which are soldered the conductingwires, while the springs o fu are secured likewise by screws t t to theother ends of the blocks y z, y z. The latter bear against theirrespective stops A A', with which they are in contact when at rest. TheStops are each formed of a small silver stud riveted each toa respectivecommunicating plate embedded in the thickness of ivorine s s', andlettered B. B. The stop A is riveted to the communieating plate B, whichis arranged to receive a wire at its part'lettered C, and the stop A isriveted to the communicating plate B', which is soldered at B to a pieceoi' brass D of a trough-shaped crosssection. Facing the latter isanother piece D of the same shape soldered to a communicating plate E,shown in dotted lines in Fig. l0, to which is soldered a wire at E. Thethree plates B, B and E being embedded in the ivorine s, are thus formedin one piecetherewith, as are consequently also the pieces A, A and D Dto which they are riveted or soldered. At. each end of the bar s s isalso embedded a bolt f g for fastening the bar to the framing of thecommutator.

The brass pieces D D facing each other form between them a rectangularopening o", see Fig. 1l, into which'is inserted the plug F.

In Fig. l0, one plug F is shown entirely inserted into the spring jack,its extremity after having separated the two springs o v thereof, beingheld in position by the pressure of the latter in the notched sides ofthe former. In this position the contact vis interrupted between each ofthe springs and its stop. Fig. lO also shows another plug, lettered F',partially introduced into the entrance r of the spring jack. In thisposition,which is that for the testtrial of the telephonie circuit, thetwo wires of the plug are in communication with the pieces D D of thespring jack.

The diagram of the communications for the two subscribers lines,lettered A3 and B3,

is shown in Fig. l2. The two wires ofeach line are connected with thesprings o) o of the spring jack, and the test wire to the piece D ofFig. 10. Two telephone apparatuses are shown at T and T', Fig. 12, witha'calling key C2 or C3 arranged forsending the current of the battery Pthrough the plug F2 or F2,

anda calling key C4 or O5 arranged for lsending the current through theplug F4 or F5. jA commutator with leverV D2 when inthe raised position,puts the. two plugs F2 F4 in communication with the relay E2, which act--uates in a local circuit the signalY for the termination of speech.When the lever D2 is turned down,therelay E2 is'short-circuited, and thetelephone apparatus T is in communication. A battery II consisting ofone element is' placed in the circuit of each telephone T T for the testof the lines. When the line is free, the trial wire is insulated andconsequently the pieces D D are also insulated, and if the plug F3 beputin contact with these pieces, the telephone T will not' give anysound because the circuit of the batteryH is open. If 'the line isoccupied, the trial wire will'be put' in communication by the plug withone of the wires of the line, that isto say, there is a communicationbetween the pieces D D in all-the other spring jacks of the same line.The contact with the plug F5 will then cause a sound in the telephone T.

The reduced size of the above described spring jacks allows 'of theconstruction of commutator-s of great capacity, which can be served bythe telephone attendant when seated.

Figs. 13 and 14 show the complete installation of a commutator for sixthousand circuits. In these figures the call signals of the subscribersare at the upper part at Z, and just below these the signals yfor theend of speech Y; then come the local spring jacks at X, and the generalspring jacks at U. The tableV carries the plugs F F', the levercommutators D2 correspondingv to those lettered D2 in Fig. l2, and thecalling keys C2." The return cables of the call signals are placed at K.The last call signal is placed at 1.86 meters above the ground line,this being a height I oo IIO

that can readily be reached by an operator seated on a high seat.

What I claim is the following-defined novel features or improvements,substantially as hereinbefore set forth, namely:

l. In contact plugs for the spring jacks of telephone apparatus,y thetwo metallic conf ducting pieces, as a 19,711. b', in combination withaninsulating material carrying the same and molded thereto, as c cl,said metallic pieces being constructed with projections or shoul-v dersagainst which said insulating material is molded, whereby theirdisplacement is prevented and they are insulated from one another. A

2. In Iiexible conducting cables for telephonic apparatus, the terminalrod, as w, adaptedto make electrical contact with the plug, the coiledconducting wire, as n', connected to said rod the winding of metallicwire over the joint between said conductor and rod, the textilebraiding, as o, over said conductor, and the-metallic tubular clamp,consisting of a thin metal tube, as c', placed over the joint betweensaid rod and, said coiledwire n', and indented against themsubstantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

3. In spring jacks for telephonic apparatus, the combination of metallicconducting blocks, as y z, y z', the springs, as u o', secured to saidblocks, the stops, asA A', for said springs', the conducting metallicplates, as B B', to which said stops are respectively electricallyconnected, the pieces, as D D', for

. receiving and holding the plugs, the conducting plate, as E, and thebar of insulating Ina-V terial, as s s', adapted to receive and hold thesaid recited parts and yinsulate them from each other, substantially asand for the purpose set forth. v

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses. A A

LOUISALFRED BERTHON.

Witnesses:

JULES ARMENGAUD, RoBT. M. HooPER.

